


Objective: Survive

by LemonssBoiz



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, aphmau - Fandom
Genre: Aaron just doesn't wanna be a monster, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Aphmau may be a smol potato but she'll kick your ass, Arson, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Author is an Aaron simp, Bad knows french for plot purposes, Crossover, Dadza hell yeah, Everyone Is Alive, Fluff and Angst, Good Parent Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), Good Parent Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Hybrids, I may or may not have gone crazy with the good parent tags, Katelyn wants to protect her demon bf, Kawaii~chan is a good friend, Let me write happy families, Lucinda is literally a queen, Multi, Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Probably more tags I should add but I'm too lazy idk, Probably some trauma, Protective Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Parent Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Ram Hybrid Toby Smith | Tubbo, Rated T for swearing and possible violence, Siren Wilbur Soot, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, Tommy is 15 while Wilbur and Techno are 17, Travis can and will cuddle his homies, Twins Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, Winged Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Winged TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Yes the title is a meme reference don't bully me pls, bros being bros, no beta we die like men, the rest of the cast are 17 until stated otherwise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29846022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LemonssBoiz/pseuds/LemonssBoiz
Summary: "Le conte de la bête noire."He watched as the demon grabbed the book from him, dusting it off. His brow raised, expression hidden behind the white mask."What does that mean?""The tale of the Black Beast."__________________________________APHMAU X MCYT GANG RISE UP.Enjoy this hybrid au lmao.[This fanfic is NOT about the real people! If any of the cc's claim they are uncomfortable with fanfics, then this will be removed!][P.s. Don't send this to any of the cc's please I will sob.]
Relationships: All Dream SMP characters are in purely platonic relationships, Aphmau/Aaron Lycan, Ik it's just their minecraft characters but shipping them makes me iffy, Jschlatt & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Katelyn/Travis Valkrum, Kawaii~Chan/Zane Ro'Meave, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Comments: 17
Kudos: 105
Collections: Run Boy Run AU





	1. Flashback

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Run Boy Run](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27495922) by [WhiteWolfCub (SilverWolfCub)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWolfCub/pseuds/WhiteWolfCub). 



> A crossover story? Nani!?
> 
> Anyways, I've recently gotten into the Dream SMP, and still haven't gotten out of my Aphmau phase. Soo, how about I combine the two fandoms into one fic? 
> 
> Comments are hella appreciated they literally make my day-

_Smoke rose into the air, the thick black clouds of ash and dust blocking view of the bright morning sky above. Orange and red flames spread from building to building as men in metal armor used flint and steel to set the houses ablaze._

_Screams filled the air as people ran. Groups of people scattered around, trying to flee from the attackers and the flames. Explosions filled the air as the men lit up dynamite to further damage the once peaceful village._

_Behind a building that had already been partly destroyed was an Elytrian who had gone unnoticed by the men in armor. His big, black wings were curled in front of him, seemingly acting as some sort of shield for himself. His green eyes darted around for any sign of danger, the small black wings on each side of his head perked up in alert._

_However at closer inspection, he was not only protecting himself, but as well as three boys who he held onto tightly. Each explosion made him instinctively tighten his hold on his children, his wings wrapping around them protectively. His voiced was hushed as he tired to soothe them, whispering words or reassurance. This man went by the name of Philza, or just Phil for short._

_Philza's heart stung as he could hear the soft cries of his youngest son, Tommy. The 12 year old sniffled, head buried into the second eldest's arm as the chaos didn't seem to cease. The other two, Wilbur and Techno, curled up as the screams of the townsfolk seemed to ring in their ears. The siren's brown eyes darted around nervously while the piglin shut his tightly._

_Philza used his hand to run through Tommy's hair, the young Elytrian shaking as a distant explosion rang out through the air._

_"Shh..don't cry Toms. It's going to be alright, we're gonna be fine." He tried to soothe his crying child, peeking from behind the wall to see if anyone had approached their hiding spot._

_Philza sighed. They couldn't stay here for long. He had to wait until the men were away from this area before he could take off. The knights were armed with arrows, and could easily shoot him down if he was spotted._

_He jumped as another explosion erupted, fire and smoke bursting into the air. It sounded much, much closer this time, almost deafening. The boys yelped, hugging him tightly as they further curled into their father. The blonde man frowned, trying to clam them down once more._

_Philza's heart raced as he could hear the shouts of orders from the men. They were blowing up the buildings to erase the remains of town. He cursed mentally, grip on his children tight. He had to go now, or else they'd all be blown to bits._

_"Hold onto me. Do not let go for a second, understand?" Philza whispered to the boys. They stared at him, confused._

_"What are you going to do?" Wilbur asked in a worried tone, watching his father get up._

_"Get us out of here. Hang on."_

_Philza held his children in his arms tightly, taking in a deep breath. The sound of footsteps seemed to get closer as he stretched his wings out. He stared at the town he used to call home one last time, before shooting up into the air._

_He wasted no time flying in a different direction, the sounds of voices growing faint as he soared through the sky._

_Philza couldn't help but look back at the fire in the sky, the ashes falling down like hot rain as the inferno burned on. His heart ached, knowing his home was in there, probably burnt to a crisp or blown to pieces._

_But that didn't matter anymore. He had his children and that's all he needed._

_They were all he had. He couldn't lose them._

"And that's basically why Wilbur started up L'Manburg. Just so people could take a break from running and hiding."

Tommy shivered at the memories from three years ago. The day that everything changed comepletely.

He could still remember the raging fires and explosions like it was yesterday. Being curled up in his father's arms as the world seemed to burn around him. He still thought about it at night.

The boy infront of him nodded, his ram ears twitching a little. This boy was Tubbo.

"That must've been terrifiying to go through. Dad and I left before things got real bad." 

The boys were sitting in the grass, behind the walls that protected the small town of L'Manburg. It was a little secret safe space for hybrids that his older brother, Wilbur, had built. They'd been living here for a few months, and things were alright so far.

"It was. But it wasn't anything this big man couldn't handle!" Tommy grinned, his grey wings fluttering a little as he chuckled at his own joke. 

Tubbo couldn't help but laugh as well, his little tail wagging a bit. Of course, Tommy knew when it was the right time to crack a joke, even when things got serious. He always seemed to light up the mood. That was just a thing Tommy does.

He smiled, staring up at the blue sky above them.

"Well, we shouldn't have to worry about that anymore now! L'Manburg is really peaceful, and we seem to be under radar right now so we're gonna be a-okay!" Tubbo reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah. I just hope it stays that way." Tommy crossed his arms, sighing as he stared at the clouds.

Of course, L'Manburg was really nice. He couldn't thank his brothers enough for being the ones to give people a chance to settle down and live their lives peacefully. However, he couldn't help but miss his childhood home.

It was haunting to remember that the nice town he lived in was set ablaze and blown up. The neighbors he were used to seeing weren't there anymore. His favorite shops were destroyed by the men in metal armor. The king's guards. The king had ordered them to comepletely wreck his home, and take the citizens to god knows where.

His fist clenched. His life was basically ruined all because of one person. He could no longer fly anywhere he wanted without fear of having an arrow in his wings. He couldn't go and talk to humans anymore because they'd just hurt him. All because he was something he couldn't control.

Tubbo seemed to realize that Tommy was a little upset, because he leaned onto him a little in an attempt to give him comfort.

The Elytrian couldn't be more thankful for having such a supportive friend. Another sigh escaped his lips as he watched the clouds pass by.

"Wonder when Dream and the others will be back from the supply run."

He also wondered what it was like to be outside of the walls, even when going out for supplies.


	2. Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An interesting discovery is made.

"Sapnap put your gloves back on! You're going to burn the books!"

"Fine! Sheesh.."

Dream watched as the Blazeborn rolled his eyes, tugging on a pair of black gloves before shooting a glare at the man with goggles. 

"Happy now George?" He crossed his arms, yellow eyes full of fiery sass. The yellow and orange markings were as bright as his eyes, practically glowing in the dark library.

The shulk in question nodded, fixing the goggles over his eyes, "Now knowing you won't burn the library down, yup."

"Why you-"

"Stop fighting you muffinheads! I'm trying to take a look at the books!"

Dream let out a small snort, his grin hidden behind the white smiling mask. The Enderian walked away from the two to go take a peek at some of the books on the dusty shelves.

The group was currently on a supply run. They'd sometimes go and mine some iron and coal, along with a few ores and diamonds if they were extra lucky. Though, most of the time they goofed off, running to different places while making sure to keep themselves hidden. It was still pretty dangerous though, and Bad made sure they knew it. 

It was still fun to finally get out of the walls of L'Manburg, even if it was just for a little bit. It would've been better if they were exploring under different circumstances, but until then this would have to do.

They were currently exploring an old library Bad said he used to visit before his village was attacked a few years ago. It was old and slightly damaged, the tables and chairs dusty as they had been untouched for a long time. Only one lightbulb seemed to be working, flickering a little bit from time to time. The only source of light was from the broken windows, which allowed sunlight to seep through.

Dream ran his hand along the books as he made his way across the room. The books themselves were also dusty, a few covered in webs and dust bunnies.

The books seemed rather interesting, yet none really seemed to catch his eye. There seemed to be all types of genres on each self. Science fiction, mystery, history books, horror. There was just a lot to choose from.

However, as he stared at the shelves in the corner of the room, he could make out one book hidden on one of the lower shelves. It seemed bigger and thicker than the rest of the other books. It looked as if it was placed in the darkest corner of the shelf on purpose, a few other books placed in front of it. Was someone trying to hide this book?

Dream let out a small hum, bending down. He reached into the shelf, grabbing the book and pulling it out. It was a navy blue hardcover book. Despite it being seemingly untouched for years, the cover was still smooth. The title of the book was written in white, however he couldn't make out what it said. 

There was also a symbol drawn onto the cover. It was a bit odd. It looked like two wolves side by side. One of them appearing to have a tear dropping down it's cheek.

"Watcha got there Dream?"

Dream let out a small gasp at Bad's sudden appearance, almost dropping the book onto the floor. He let out a sigh.

"Just some book I found over here. It's a little..weird. Do you know what the title says?" Dream let Bad take a closer took at the book, watching as the gears in his head seemed to turn.

"Oh! I know this book! I brought it home with me once!" The demon smiled innocently. Sometimes Dream wondered how someone so wholesome ended up being a demon.

"Soo..what does it say?" Dream glanced up at him. He could feel George and Sapnap stand by his side, wondering what was going on here.

"Le conte de la bête noire."

He watched as the demon grabbed the book from him, dusting it off. His brow raised, expression hidden behind the white mask.

"What does that mean?"

"The tale of the Black Beast."

George tilted his head to the side, putting his hands on his hips with a confused expression, "The Black Beast?"

Bad nodded, opening the book and flipping through a couple of pages. The book was a older than the others in the library, but was still in good shape. The writing was neat and almost perfect, as well the illustrations of what could only the the thing the book was talking about.

"Yeah, or the Ultima. It's some sort of legend that parents usually used to scare their kids into behaving." He turned to another page, taking a second to read some of the writing.

Bad cleared his throat, "As the story goes, there was this man who lived in a forest with his wife. One day she got sick and passed, which drove him mad. He was desperate to get her back so he tried performing some weird ritual that needed a sacrifice, and he chose a wolf. But the ritual backfired and ended up turning him into a some big humanoid wolf monster. It's said that the beast went on to wipe out almost half the countryside in a fit of blind rage."

"Woah, that's some crazy shit." Sapnap said in awe, suddenly interested in Bad's story. Dream couldn't lie, he was a little interested as well.

Bad nodded, "Language. Anyway, it was described as this huge black wolf. It's body was more human like, and it had these real big claws. The thing was almost impossible to outrun. Its teeth were way sharper than a canine's, like a mouth full of blades that could kill you in a single bite. One of its most notable features were its red eyes. Legend has it that those who look into its eyes were doomed to an agonizing death as their bones would shift and break. If you were lucky, you'd just be turned into a werewolf, but it was a really small chance."

"That's actually kind of scary to think about, geez." Dream winced. The thought of such a creature killing thousands of people, sounded like it came straight out of a horror novel.

"Really scary. But it's just a myth, I've heard that it was last seen at least 2,000 years ago. Some parents used to scare their kids all the time with this. If you don't behave, the Black Beast will come into your room at night and drag you away." Bad made an evil little grin in an attempt to be intimidating, but we all know it was more cute than scary.

"Isn't that kind of a messed up thing to tell your child though?" George asked, crossing his arms.

"Well..yeah, it is." Bad chuckled a little, closing the book and handing it back to Dream.

Dream stared at the book for a second, before slipping it into his back along with the pieces of iron and coal. He was definitely going to take it back. Maybe even read it to Tommy and Tubbo and give them a little spook.

"It's not like the thing is real though. You heard what Bad said, it's just some silly myth." Sapnap leaned onto George, who hissed and pushed him away due to the intense heat. Despite having strong patches of purple skin, the heat was still to intense. It made sense, considering the fact Sapnap was straight from the nether.

"Eh, it's still a bit fucked up in my opinion." George shrugged, keeping his arms crossed.

"Langua-" Bad was cut off as he heard a few noises outside. The group fell silent as there was the faint noise of voices and footsteps approaching their area.

"Shit. C'mon, we have to go. Now!" Dream hissed, motioning for his friends to follow him through the back window.

He teleported over to the other side, waiting for the rest of the group to climb out before they started moving. The tension was high in the air as they moved quickly, going deeper into the forest. The tall trees towered over them, covering the light from the sun as they kept walking.

It wasn't long until they were confused from which way they came from. Dream and Sapnap began to bicker as they absentmindedly kept walking, much to George's displeasure.

If they did so much as to turn around, they would've noticed Bad had stayed behind, hearing a noise coming from one of the trees.

"I'm telling you we came from this way!" Sapnap scowled, crossing his arms.

"And I'm telling you you're wrong. We came from that path over there!" Dream pointed to the path on the left, glaring at the Blazeborn.

George groaned, running a hand through his hair, "Can you two stop it? We can just ask Bad which way the compass is pointing!"

"Oh yeah." Sapnap blinked.

"Dumbass." George muttered under his breath before turning around, "Hey Bad which way do we-"

George paused, falling silent as he looked around, "Bad?"

Dream followed his gaze, quickly realizing that the demon was no longer with them, "Bad! Bad where'd you go?"

The group couldn't help but grow more and more worried as Bad didn't answer their calls. Sapnap cursed under his breath. Where was Bad? How did they even lose him?

"Shit. This isn't good. Did anyone see where he went?" The Blazeborn asked.

"No. This isn't like Bad, he always sticks with us." Dream shook his head. There was a feeling in his stomach, something was wrong. He knew it.

"Maybe we should go back and search-"

George was cut off as he picked up on the sound of those same voices from when they were at the library. They fell silent was they listened, turning to the left.

Sapnap was the first to start following the noise, Dream and George trailing behind him. The three remained low, doing their best to make the least noise as possible as they got closer and close to the voices. It sounded like multiple people, at least four of them. 

Dream winced as he bumped into someone, which was Sapnap. He raised a brow, "What the-"

He stopped as the Blaze shushed him, creeping a little closer towards a bush and peeking over it. George and Dream followed his gaze, their stomachs dropping at the sight in front of them.

Poachers.

There was a group of poachers right infront of them. They could tell by the silver badges imprinted on their shirts. The humans were talking loudly, laughing amongst one another as they seemed to be talking about something that had to do with money.

What really got the boys worried was the fact that one of the men in the group was carrying Bad over his shoulder. The poor demon's hands were tightly tied together, and an enchanted metal collar was placed around his neck to prevent him from using any of his black magic.

Even from afar, the group could practically feel Bad's fear as he spotted them, his eyes teary. Purple blood ran down from his nose.

Those fuckers. They hit him.

"I know a guy who'd pay a hell lot for a lil' demon pet to keep him company. Thing's got quite a pretty face, he'll take 'em." One of the women in the group grinned.

Dream didn't realize his hands were balled into tight fists until he felt a hand on one of them, which happened to be George. He glanced at the shulk, who's mouth curled into a frown. The anger in Dream's chest seemed to bubble as he stared back at Bad.

They hurt him.

They had to pay.

It was like him and Sapnap shared the same thought, because the Blazeborn suddenly shot up and threw a fireball at the group. They yelped, jumping out of the way. The man holding Bad dropped him, stumbling as he shot a glance at the angry blaze.

 _"Let go of our friend you motherfuckers!!_ _"_ Sapnap shouted, watching as Dream pulled out an axe.

He teleported right behind one of the poachers, slashing her in the back and throwing her into a tree with full force. He ran at the other, dodging a swing from the man's iron sword. He knocked it out of his hand, watching it slide across the dirt before slicing his neck, the blood dripping onto the floor.

Sapnap had set the other two on fire while George ran over, untying the rope from Bad's wrists.

The fight was over quickly, the humans standing no chance against the angry hybrids. Dream kicked one of the bodies, glaring at it from under his mask, "Tch, dumb pricks."

He made his way over to Bad right as George unclipped the collar. The demon sighed in relief, rubbing his neck as the shulk cupped his face in his hands, wiping the blood from his nose.

"Are you okay? You hurt anywhere else?" George asked in worry, looking for any other wounds. Bad shook his head.

"N-No, I'm fine. T-Thanks for coming after me..!" He couldn't hide the shakiness in his voice as he spoke, rubbing his eyes.

"Don't thank us, its what friends do. Now c'mon, let's get the fuck outta here." Sapnap smiled, helping the demon up.

"Language." Bad chuckled softly, standing close to him as they hurried out of the forest and to the path that lead back to L'Manburg,


	3. Hooded Figure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A stranger comes and goes.

Though life inside the walls was peaceful and calm, it was also pretty boring. 

Going outside of L'Manburg was a big hazard due to the fact that so many goddamn poachers seemed to run rampant, so everyone was usually just stuck inside all day.

Of course, Wilbur didn't mind being able to have an excuse to stay inside and write music, his home certainly wasn't boring as chaos seemed to be an everyday thing in his life with his family. But he wanted to just go and explore more. There'd been a few times where he joined Dream on the supply runs, but most of his time was spent in the small town.

He sighed, setting his guitar down and sitting back in the grass and staring at the sky. His mind went back to the days where he and his brothers were able to play tag around their old village, running around without a care in the world as their father watched from afar. The laughter loud and cheery as they enjoyed the time spent outside of their home. Before being forced to stay inside out of fear of being attacked as new laws against hybrids rose. Before the sightings of humans coming over, vandalizing homes and breaking into shops and hurting people. Before hunting was made legal and they weren't protected by the law anymore. Before the smoke, the fire, the flames rising and burning everything that he's grown to be so used to and the people he used to know running and screaming for their lives-

Wilbur shook his head, forcing those thoughts out of mind as he stood up, putting his hands into his pockets. He wished to forget what happened on that day, the day he watched his life crumble into pieces.

He scanned the area, hearing familiar voices from afar. He turned to see Dream with a book in his hand, reading to Tubbo and Tommy. The boys seemed interested in the story. Curious, Wilbur made his way over to see what was going on.

"Some say the monster still roams around at night. Watching, waiting for another innocent victim to become unlucky enough to dare come across its path. Razor blade teeth sharp and ready to kill in one single bite."

Dream grinned under his mask at the uneasy look of the teens he was reading too, watching them share a glance at each other.

"If you don't keep your lights on before going to sleep, the Black Beast will break into your home and snatch you. It's red eyes will be the last thing you see before it bites your wings off!" Dream hissed, turning to Tommy who's ears drooped.

"No! Not my wings!" The Elytrian cried, frowning.

"Now what's going on over here? Having a little story time?"

Dream turned to Wilbur, a soft smile on his face as he gave him a little wave. Tubbo grinned, waving at the siren as well.

"Hi Wilbur! Dream's telling us some old legend, and Tommy's scared of it." The ram snickered as Tommy shot up, glaring at him.

"What the- I am not! It's just some stupid old myth!" Tommy crossed his arms, turning away.

Wilbur chuckled softly, staring at the book Dream had in his hands. It looked a bit old, like it was written years ago.

"Watcha reading?" He asked with a small grin, getting a closer look at the book.

"Some weird legend about this thing called an Ultima. I found the book yesterday at an old library." Dream explained, glancing up at Wilbur.

Wilbur raised a brow, crossing his arms as he ignored the loud bickering between Tubbo and Tommy, "The hell is an Ultima?"

"Some weird wolf monster that formed from a failed ritual. It's kind of like a werewolf except it will absolutely wipe out an entire village in fit of rage."

Wilbur blinked, his pretty brown eyes staring at the book the green man was holding.

"Geez, sounds scary. Is that why Tommy's acting like a little baby?" 

"Oh fuck off! I'm not scared of some stupid legend!" Tommy scowled, Tubbo's laughter becoming louder at the teen's frustration. 

"Aw, really now Toms? Because I swore I could hear you screaming from a mile away." Wilbur snickered, approaching his little brother.

"I was not!" Tommy hissed, standing up and crossing his arms.

"It's okay child, Wilby's here to protect you." Wilbur pulled his brother into a hug, resisting the urge to burst into laughter at the teen's red face.

"If you don't stop embarrassing me Imma start stabbin' shit!" Tommy threatened, trying to get out of his brother's grip. His wings fluttering in annoyance.

"Yeah right, like your fucking gremlin hands could do any physical harm."

"You son of a bi-"

"Ladies, Ladies! You're both pretty! Now settle down." Dream closed the book, snickering as he tried to prevent the two brothers from fighting any longer.

Tommy rolled his eyes as Wilbur let him go, shooting a glare at his older brother who only grinned.

"Anyways, I'm gonna head out for a small stroll around the area. Care to join me, Will?" Dream turned to the siren.

"Eh, why not. Got nothin' better to do anyway." Wilbur shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Not fair! How come Wilbur gets to go out but I'm stuck in here?" Tommy whined, frowning.

"Because the outside world is dangerous for feral children. Plus, dad would kill me." Wilbur ruffled his hair, watching him sigh in defeat as he leaned into the affection a little bit.

"Don't worry, you can hang with me! We can ask my dad to see if he can make hot chocolate!" Tubbo reassured Tommy, giving him a small pat on the shoulder.

"Schlatt does make good hot chocolate. Fine." Tommy smiled softly at his friend, before turning back to Wilbur, "If you don't come back I'm gonna tell dad."

"Fair enough. I'll be back soon, I promise." Wilbur smiled at him, patting the top of his hair.

Dream and Wilbur walked away from the teens, who quickly made their way to Tubbo's backyard. Dream smiled as the two made their way out of the village and outside of the walls, a small breeze blew past them as they ventured into the nearby forest. The trees blocking the view of the sun.

The sky was a little orange as the sun seemed to be setting, a small dose of a light pink and blue added into the mix of colors. The white clouds got darker as they passed by, blocking the rays of light for a second or two before moving on. The air was colder as the large ball of heat over the horizon was going away, soon to be replaced by the moon. The pair didn't plan to be out for long, as it became hard to see when it got dark and getting to L'Manburg would take way longer. Not to mention the dangers of wandering in the forest at night.

The boys struck up a conversation, sticks crunching under their shoes as they walked alongside some trail that seemed to go on for miles. The trees rustled in the wind as their leaves danced, moving to the breeze that came and went. The forest was quiet, despite a few chirps from some birds here and there and the laughter of the teens as they spotted some blueberries in a nearby bush. Wilbur smiled as they sat down, picking some from the bush and popping it into his mouth. The berries were nice and fresh, the sourness being overtaken by the sweet taste. He made a mental note to grab a few to give to Tommy and Techno when he and Dream decided to walk home.

Dream lifted his mask a little to eat a few blueberries, continuing his story about the time he and George nearly set an entire store on fire as young kids. That's how the conversation shifted to childhood stories and events that happened through the two's lives. Wilbur talked about how he and Techno found once found a raccoon inside of their living room, Techno proceeding to throw it out of the window. Which is probably why Philza banned the piglin from coming into contact with raccoons for a short amount of time. Or how Tommy nearly fell off of a cliff while trying to fly. That kid was always such a bundle of endless energy.

As time went on, the boys noticed the sun beginning to set. Dream yawned, standing up and stretching before pulling the hood of his cape over his head,

"It's getting late. Let's head back before your brother tattles on you."

Wilbur nodded, getting up and following Dream back down the path that lead to L'Manburg. It was nice to finally spend some time outside, the quiet was welcoming and peaceful compared to the chaotic household the siren lived in. He sighed, suddenly realizing he forget to get some blueberries for his brothers. Yikes, he'd have to wait until next time-

Wilbur's thoughts were cut short as something fell onto them. Dream yelped, realizing that a net had fallen from one of the trees that they walked under. It was enchanted, feeling heavier than it probably should have. 

"Well well well, now what do we got here?"

The boys froze at the sound of a voice, turning to see a group of three poachers emerge from the trees, staring down at them with sick grins.

"A siren and an enderian. Tonight's a lucky night, huh?" One of the men grinned, walking over. Wilbur's heart began to race as he backed up. It was hard to move, he was stuck. How could he let this happen? He shouldn't have let his guard down.

Dream hissed, the enchanted nets shocking him as he struggled to pull it off, much to the amusement of the poachers in front of them. He would've teleported him and Wilbur out of there if it weren't for these dumb spells blocking out his magic.

"Silly kids, didn't your parents teach you about not going out alone?" One of the other men snickered, crossing his arms with a stupid smile on his face. Wilbur wanted to scratch if off. He let out a small, unintentional whimper as the brunette of the group leaned down and grabbed his face, inspecting it closely. 

"Don't see any skin damage, but we'll check that later. I think we'll get a good price off of these two." 

Dream pulled Wilbur back, scowling in disgust. These men were treating them like products, nothing more than an object that in their eyes had no say in whatever the hell happened to them. His heart pounded as one of the men reached into a bag, pulling out a rope. Humans really were evil, weren't they? 

"Hold 'em still, don't want any getting away."

"No! Stay back! Don't touch us!" Wilbur shouted, backing into the tree behind him. However it fell on deaf ears as one of the guys reached forward.

"Just shut up and do what we say kid."

"Back the fuck off! Leave us alone!" Dream hissed.

"Why you-"

Before the sentence could be finished, a figure burst out from one of the bushes. It grabbed one of the men, slapping a hand over his mouth before taking out a hunting knife and slashing his throat. The poacher gargled on his own blood as he fell down onto the floor, body twitching a little before all movement ceased. The two remaining men gasped, one of them pulling out their sword with a growl.

"Who the fuck!? You piece of shit! C'mere!" The brunette shouted, charging at the figure.

Despite being smaller, the shadow was quick and agile, catching the two hybrids by surprise as it quickly unarmed the man and stabbed him in the back of the neck, going just deep enough to make the other end of the knife pop out on the other side.

One of the poachers dropped his bag and began to run in the other direction in a desperate attempt to escape. The figure quickly ran over, pouncing onto him like a predator catching it's prey. It plunged the knife into the last man's back, pushing the knife deep into the skin. The man let out a scream as the knife was pushed further, seemingly hitting a vital spot because his thrashing and struggling was suddenly cut short. Blood spilled from the wound and onto the ground as the stranger took the knife out, getting off of the man's back and turning to Wilbur and Dream.

The boys quickly backed away as the stranger walked over towards them, hearts going probably 100 beats per fucking second. 

However, instead of harming them, the stranger leaned down and used the knife to cut the net, the magic wearing off as they pulled it off of the two teens.

Dream stared up at the figure, before quickly standing to his feet and pulling Wilbur up with him. They stared in shock for a few seconds, getting a closer look at the person who had just saved them. They wore what appeared to be a red sweatshirt with a gray shirt underneath, the hood pulled up so it was covering almost half of their face. Black bandages made it's way up their arms, stopping at their elbows.

They stood up, backing away from the boys. The stranger looked to be about the same height and same age as Dream and Wilbur, their eyes were hidden under what looked to be a red bandana. Weird, how was this person able to take out three people with a bandana over their eyes?

"Who..Who the hell are you..?" Wilbur spoke in a quiet tone, leaning closer and waiting for an answer.

However, before the stranger could speak, they suddenly snapped their head in another direction. They turned back at Dream and Wilbur, before running off into the bushes.

"Wait!-" Wilbur reached out, but the person had already vanished behind the trees, their quick footsteps fading off into the distance.

"It's no use. C'mon, we have to head back. Now!" Dream hissed, motioning for the siren to follow as they began to sprint back home.

The wind blew past them as they ran as quick as possible. The stranger however, was stuck in Wilbur's mind. Who was that person? Why did they save him and Dream from the poachers? What was with the bandana?

Those questions repeated themselves over and over as the two made it back to L'Manburg, sneaking back into the walls as quietly as possible. Relief filled them as they made it towards the village. The sky was dark by now, the moon high up in the air as stars scattered across the night sky. From afar, Wilbur could hear the faint shouts of voices.

"You two stay put! I'll go look for Wilbur!"

"Let me come with you! I want to help out!"

"No, it's too dangerous Techno! And Tommy can't stay home by himself!"

"Oh shit. Better hurry." Dream winced.

Wilbur dashed over towards the familiar sounding voices, his lungs burning from him running so much. But he didn't stop. He ran as fast as possible, yearning to just lay at home in his bed again and feel the comfort of his family by his side. Tonight's events had scared him, and he just wanted some hugs.

He caught sight of Philza trying to get Technoblade to stay inside, his green eyes filled with worry as he stepped out of the house and into the darkness to go search for his missing son. However, Tommy's frightened eyes spotted Wilbur before Philza could.

 _"Wilby!"_ The boy shouted, rushing over towards his older sibling, wings fluttering behind him.

Wilbur ran towards him as well, his arms wrapping tightly around the boy who gripped onto his coat. The older boy rubbed his brother's back as the sounds of sniffling could be heard from him. This warmth, he missed it.

"Wilbur!" Techno dashed over as well, nearly tackling the two as he engulfed them in his arms, ears twitching as he buried his head into Wilbur's shoulder. The siren gladly returned the hug, his heart slowing down as the familiar warmth surrounded him.

The last to approach the boys was Philza, who's eyes suddenly softened at the sight of his son, who seemed safe and unarmed. He let out an audible sigh of relief, arms wrapping around his sons tightly as he pulled them close. His big black wings curled around them on instinct.

"Where on Earth have you been? I was worried sick!" Philza stared at Wilbur with a worried expression.

"I-I..I went on a walk with Dream and some poachers nearly got us. I'm so sorry-" He explained, his voice low and quiet.

"Oh..my poor boy. Don't be sorry for what those disgraceful humans have done to you and your friend." Philza ran a gentle hand through Wilbur's brown, curly locks. The boy leaned into his touch, a sigh escaping his lips at his father's comfort.

"Let's head inside. It's late, and you must be tired." 

The Elytrian led his children back towards the house, where they proceeded to sleep in the living room so Wilbur wouldn't have to sleep alone in his room. The boy in question couldn't be more thankful for a loving family like his.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Are you fucking crazy!? You could've been caught you dumbass!!"

"I had to help them! They were in trouble!"

"You could've been hurt though dude."

"I'm fine. Just because the hunters were tall doesn't mean they weren't easy to take out."

"You're lucky none of them had holy water or a cross. Don't ever pull a stupid stunt like that again."

"Fine, I won't. I promise."


	4. New Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little interesting.

_Disgusting._

He dug the stick into the sand, dragging it across the particles as he let his mind wander.

_Freak._

His grip became tighter as his eyes narrowed, the line in the sand getting deeper.

_Unholy._

The pain was there, but not there at the same time. His skin burning as the men in white robes doused him in holy water. 

_Monster._

His knuckles turned white as he couldn't help but let that word, that stupid word, repeat in his head over and over again. 

Why was he cursed to be something so horrible? To be born as a beast that was only known for slaughtering innocent people? For destroying villages and homes, causing nothing but pain and suffering to anyone who just happened to be there at the wrong time. Why couldn't he control his anger? His eyes?

His stupid, stupid red eyes. He hated looking into the mirror whenever he got angry. That crimson color taunting him the longer he looked at it. The eyes that put people in absolute _agony._ He felt as if the blood was on his hands. Was he born to be a killer? A beast?

A _monster?_

"Aaron!"

He jumped at the sound of his name being called, pulling him out of the mess that was his own head. The stick fell from his hand as he turned, hidden eyes staring at the one who called for him.

"Are you alright? We've been calling you for a while now."

His face was blank for a second, before his eyes softened under the red bandana.

"Oh, sorry Zane. I'm fine, what's up?" Aaron stared at the lamia, the light blue scales on his long, pointy ears glistening in the sunlight. Half his face hidden behind a black mask.

Zane crossed his arms, shooting him a look for a second before continuing the conversation.

"We have can't stay here for long. I saw some humans nearby." The teen explained, grabbing a satchel and slinging it across one his shoulders.

"Shit. Let's go. Travis! Stop staring at the birds and come on!" Aaron called to the boy in green.

The demon warlock frowned as the birds flew away, his emerald green eyes glimmering as he ran over.

"Oh come on! We literally just got here! My legs are sore as shit!" Travis frowned, crossing his arms. 

"Yeah I know, but there's humans nearby. We can't risk being caught." Aaron explained, hands pulling his hood a little farther down. He always had it up, even when inside.

"Fine." The boy hissed, following close behind his friends as they quickly walked into the forest, vanishing into the sea of trees and bushes. They hid behind a tree as footsteps approached, the sound of women coming closer. Aaron could make out three girls as they walked past. One with sky blue hair, another with pink hair and a magenta hood over her had, and the shortest one having raven hair.

"And then Aphmau was stuck on the roof."

"Hehe!"

"Hey! The ladder fell and I couldn't get down!"

The voices faded as they walked past. Zane peeked out to make sure they were gone before they started walking again.

The trio have been on the walk for a few days now, stopping at a few places for a small break before they were up and moving again. As much they'd love to be able to settle down somewhere, they just couldn't. Almost every village they knew were now against hybrids and anyone else who sided with them. Sleeping outside in the open without at least one person keeping watch was always a chore, as they were clearly lacking sleep. Hunters seemed to swarm the forests like flies, they were always there even though you didn't want them to be.

It was hard having to be on their own starting from such a young age. Aaron and Zane were separated from their families at 13, when their villages were attacked by the kingdom's guards. Having nobody else to turn to, they stuck together and ran off before they could be caught. Zane had to learn how to get use to using his legs almost all the time.

They found Travis almost a year later, the boy wandering the woods all by himself. They gave him some bread and water before allowing him to stay with them. The trio were almost inseparable. They were always together no matter the situation, making sure to have each other's backs.

Aaron let a sigh escape his lips as he pulled an apple off a branch on a tree, his shark-like teeth easily slicing through the red fruit as he continued walking.

"So, where are we off to now?" He asked, turning to Travis.

Travis shrugged, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket, "Don't know. I would prefer a place where it's safe to sleep. I am hella tired."

Aaron couldn't help but chuckle a bit, making sure not to choke on the fruit as he pat the warlock on the head with a soft smile.

"We'll try. But not many places are...well, hybrid friendly."

"I just...God, I wish it didn't have to be this way.." Travis sighed, holding one of his arms as he lowered his head, "It sucks having to run all the time because people just can't leave us alone."

Zane turned to him. Though his mouth couldn't be seen because of the mask, Aaron could tell that he was frowning.

The lamia reached up, giving Travis a gentle pat on the shoulder with a soft look in his baby blue eyes.

"I know, Vi. It sucks. But as long as we have each other, we'll be fine." Zane's voice was a bit more quiet, a warm tone seeping through it. Zane never showed this side of him quite often, but when he did, it was really nice.

Travis glanced at him for a second, before a small grin spread across his face, "Thanks, Zuzu."

"Wh- I thought we gave up on that nickname!!"

Moment ruined.

Aaron let out a laugh, letting the core of the apple fall from his hand at the look of Zane's face. His pale cheeks dusted with a light red that easily stood out. Travis snickered as well, the frown on his face being replaced by his usual bright smile, his vampire-like fangs visible.

"But it suits you so well! Right Aaron?"

"Yup."

Zane let out a small growl, crossing his arms and looking away from the other two with a small huff.

"Yeah yeah. Whatever."

Aaron smiled at them, before turning his gaze back to the path ahead.

He began to wonder how long they would have to keep going like this. How long they'd have to walk before they'd finally be able to take at least one damn break. Just one day to get a few hours of sleep in before having to be awake for at least two nights in a row again.

It was so odd to be a happy carefree child at one moment, and then the next you're clinging to your friend was you watch your life be destroyed around you. From a nice, happy town to nothing but a bunch of burned ruins. The unlucky hybrids being locked up and taken to human villages where they were never seen again. That thought was terrifying to think about. Being ripped from your home just to end up as someone else's pet. Because of what? Having wings or scales? It was such bullshit.

He couldn't help but feel...glad. Glad that Zane helped him escape the chaos he once called home. Glad they stood by each other's side long enough to find Travis and take him in. Glad that they were always there for each other, even when things got hard.

Those two had helped Aaron through so much without even knowing it. He didn't know if he'd even be alive without them by his side. He made sure to show his appreciation in any way he could, whether it be doing simple tasks or just helping them out in any situation. He wanted to be there for them as much as they were for him.

"Watch out!"

Aaron gasped as Zane yanked on his arm, pulling him backwards quickly. He was about to ask what the hell that was for before he watched an axe narrowly avoid his face.

His blood ran cold as he turned around to a group of hunters staring them down like a predator watching its prey, waiting for the right time to go in for the kill.

Aaron pulled out his hunting knife, gripping onto it tightly as he backed up.

"Say kids, watcha doin' out here all by yourselves, hm?" One of the women asked, crossing her arms with a grin.

"None of your business bitch." Travis hissed, balling his hands into fists. The poachers didn't look too pleased with that comment.

"Tch. Rude little shit. Grab 'em." One of the men in the group growled, reaching into his bag.

Aaron's grip on the knife became harder as they were cornered, surrounded on all sides. Zane scowled, looking around as he could practically feel the venom already being stored into his fangs, ready to kill. Travis whipped out his claws, his heart beginning to race as they were backed into a tree.

"What do we do?" Zane whispered.

"Kill them. Duh!" Travis shot back, staring back at the hunters before taking a step forward, "Come at me you fuckers!"

"Travis wait!-"

Aaron watched as one of the men pulled out something from their bag. A glass jar of clear liquid in his hand as he popped the lid off. A chill ran through Aaron's spine as he ran over to Travis, shoving him out of the way as quickly as possible. Travis yelped, falling into Zane as the hunter threw the liquid.

The all too familiar sound of sizzling and the burning sensation made Aaron let out a pained screech as he stumbled back, nearly falling onto the ground if it weren't for the tree behind him.

It was holy water.

"Ronnie!" Zane shouted. He yelped as someone grabbed his arms, holding onto them tight enough to make the lamia hiss in pain. One of the other women grabbed Travis, holding him down onto the ground and preventing him from aiding his friend.

Aaron dropped his knife, slumping down the tree as his wet skin turned red. He could feel the sting where the water had hit him, the areas throbbing. The sizzling had stopped, only leaving the pain as he gritted his teeth, letting out a whimper as someone grabbed his wrist.

"Oh, so you thought you could hide yourself as a human huh? Ya little freak?"

The man's harsh words stabbed him as he turned away, trying to desperately pull himself out of the grip. The hunter only held on tighter, pulling Aaron up with him. The boy whimpered, his head spinning. He scowled, biting the man's hand. The hunter shouted as blood spilled from the wound, his brown eyes glaring at Aaron. He used his free hand to grab Aaron's hood and slam his head into the tree, before letting the boy fall onto the ground.

A ball of green flames was shot into one of the trees. The woman holding Travis screamed as the demon warlock used his claws to scratch her across the face, the blood spilling out onto the ground as one of the other men ran over, kicking him across the dirt. The boy let out a pained yelp.

Travis whimpered, curling up and holding onto his stomach at the pain in his ribs as he stopped rolling across the floor.

"Let go! Don't fucking touch them!!" Zane was thrashing around and screaming, trying to scratch and bite at the man holding him back. His mask had been yanked off and thrown to the ground, showing off his fangs. The hunter grabbed him by the shirt and punched him in the nose, knocking him down onto the ground.

"God, these fuckers are a handful-"

_"Unhand them. Now."_

Aaron turned his head to the source of the voice. He could see at least two people. One of them seemed to be a ram hybrid, whose hand tightly held an iron sword. He wore a black trench coat with a grey shirt underneath. He looked round the same age as the other man he was with, who's big black wings flapped as he flew in the air. Green eyes glaring down at the group of hunters. A bucket hat sat on top of his head, matching with the green robe.

The rest was a blur to Aaron as he slowly fell unconscious, his vision blurring and darkening as his head painfully throbbed. The voices faded as he could make out the fight between the ram, and what he assumed as an elytrian. His eyes felt heavy as he couldn't keep them closed any longer. 

"You sound like a fucking gremlin oh my god."

"Hey what the fuck!?"

His eyes fluttered open, greeted by the normal darkness of the bandana.

He felt himself laying on something soft and warm, which tempted him to go back to sleep. That was odd, he swore he was just outside a few minutes ago.

Aaron let out a soft groan, sitting upwards. He realized he was laying in a bed. He hasn't been in one in a long time.

His eyes scanned the area through his see-through bandana. His vision cleared up as he looked around, noticing that he was in a room. The walls were a light baige color, the floor wooden and shiny. There were pieces of furniture like pictures and shelves, along with what looked to be medical supplies. Was..this a hospital room?

He turned to see Travis sitting in a chair, conversating with a younger looking elytrian and a piglin hybrid, long pink hair tied into a neat looking braid.

Another figure caught his eye, which was a siren in a beanie watching the three talk to each other. His brown eyes glanced at Aaron for a second, before he turned to him.

It took Aaron a second to realize that this was the same guy he saved three days ago.


	5. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They are welcomed with open arms.

"Oh! You're awake!"

He seemed to snap back into reality, quickly scooting backwards and throwing the covers off of himself with a surprised yelp.

"W-Who, what, where, why-"

"Hey, take it easy there fella. You're fine." The piglin spoke up, his voice monotone yet somehow still calming.

"Yeah, what Techno said!" The elytrian piped up with a grin. His appearance screamed chaotic gremlin.

_Techno..?_

Aaron glanced around quickly, bringing his legs closer to himself as he looked around the room. These faces were unfamiliar to him. Who were these people? Why was he here? Where was Zane?

He looked down to see that his hoodie was gone, draped over a chair next to a heater. The warm air was blasting through the machine, giving Aaron some warmth as it hit him. He also noticed that white bandages were wrapped around where he had been burned by the water, the black ones he usually wore had been removed. He felt...oddly fine, a weird feeling of comfort washing over him like a small wave. That didn't erase the fact that he was still very confused. What the hell happened?

"Hey, you alright bud?"

He turned towards Travis, shiny emerald eyes laced with concern and worry as he stared at him. Aaron stared back, taking a second to calm himself down before he looked with away with a sigh.

"Fine..I'm fine." His voice was softer and lower than normal as he stared back up at the new faces, "Where..?"

"You're in L'Manburg. Don't worry, you're safe here. This is a place for hybrids." The siren spoke up, offering a kind smile. 

Aaron seemed to visibly relax, not noticing how tense he was until he felt his shoulders lower. A place for hybrids. This was a place for hybrids. For people like him.

It was safe.

"I..I see." Was all Aaron got out. He swallowed, shifting into a more comfortable position to sit in, "I'm sorry but..who are you?"

"Oh, the name's Wilbur. Those two losers are my brothers, Tommy and Techno." Wilbur motioned to the others. Techno rolled his eyes with his arms crossed, however Tommy let out an offended gasp.

"I'm not a loser you dickhead!" The elytrian growled, his wings fluttering a bit, "I'm awesome!"

"Sure you are."

Aaron stared silently, watching as Travis snickered to himself at the brother's bickering. He couldn't help but be reminded of his own fighting with his sister. A sad, yet warm feeling filled his heart at the memories.

"What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?" 

Aaron glanced back at Wilbur, biting his lip a bit.

"Aaron."

Wilbur smiled, "Aaron, huh? Nice name. It's great to meet ya."

He blinked, folding his hands neatly across his lap.

"It's...nice to meet you too." He said quietly, before turning to Travis, "What happened?"

"Dude you missed sooo much!" Travis grinned excitedly, "These two guys beat the absolute shit out of those poachers. It was awesome, the fuckers ran like cowards."

The demon chuckled a little, his eyes bright and happy.

"Apparently their names are Schlatt and Philza. They brought us over here after I told them how long we've been travelling. Zane's currently helping the Philza guy make you something. We already ate." He explained, leaning back into the chair.

"How long have I been out?" Aaron asked.

"You've been unconscious for five hours. Got knocked out pretty hard." Techno spoke up, glancing at him.

"Five hours!?" Aaron shouted in surprise, shooting up in shock. He quickly realized how loud and possibly rude he was being, and shrunk back down, "I-I'm sorry-"

"Oi, don't sweat it big man. I'd be hella shocked too!" Tommy reassured him, sitting down onto another chair nearby, "I could never imagine having to be in bed for that long."

"You can barely sit down for five minutes."

"Exactly."

He stared between Techno and Tommy, not helping the little smile that made it's way onto his face. They seemed nice, no sign of malice or danger anywhere. 

The door suddenly creaked open, the same man Aaron had seen earlier walking inside of the room with a steaming bowl in his hands. His big black wings folded behind him as he made his way through the doorframe. He supposed this was the Philza Travis mentioned.

"Ah, you're up! Took quite the nap there kiddo, you must be hungry." He smiled warmly at Aaron, handing him the bowl. It was mushroom soup. "Here you go kid, eat up."

Aaron took the spoon, slowly scooping some of the soup up and blowing on it before taking a bite. God, it had been so long since he ate a warm, homecooked meal. Something that wasn't bread or an apple. He could feel himself somehow warm up as he eagerly took another bite. He realized how _starving_ he was.

Philza sat on the bed, watching the boy eat the soup. He tilted his head a little, his ears perking up at the sound of footsteps approaching the door.

"Geez, never soup could burn- Aaron!"

Zane rushed over towards Aaron, giving the boy a hug while also being careful to not make him drop his soup. Aaron smiled, swallowing some of the mushrooms before using one hand to give Zane a pat on the head.

"Hey, how you doing?" Aaron asked, watching as the lamia let go of him.

"Alright. You feeling any better? You were out for almost the whole day." Those baby blue eyes softened, glimmering in the orange light that seeped through a nearby window.

"I'm fine. Don't worry." He reassured him, setting down the practically empty bowl onto a nearby table, "A couple of hunters won't be enough to take me down."

"That's the spirit big man!"

"Shut up Tommy."

Philza let out a soft laugh, folding his hands neatly across his lap as he stared at Zane and Aaron, "If you don't mind me asking, where exactly are your parents? They around this area?"

Zane visibly tensed at the mention of his parents, his eyes darting to the floor as a nervous feeling inside of him grew. A small sigh escaped his lips as he crossed his arms, pointy ears drooping a bit.

"Used to, but we lost them."

"So...you're orphans?" Techno asked.

Philza shot his son a look, which made the teen shrink back a bit. He turned back to the boys in front of him, a feeling of guilt washing over him, "Oh, I see. Do you have anywhere to stay at least?"

Aaron shook his head, muttering a small "no".

Philza frowned, before reaching over and gently patting his head, "It's alright. You can stay here if you'd like. L'Manburg has a few extra houses that haven't been used yet."

Travis let out an excited gasp, catching the attention of the winged man, "We get to stay here!?"

"Of course. I can't just let a group of children fend for their own, can I?" He chuckled, removing his hand from Aaron's head, "You can relax in here while I go set a place up."

Zane stared in surprise, his eye wide as he watched Philza get up. He honestly didn't know what to say, really. After all these years of constantly being on the move, walking for days at a time, they were actually being given time to rest.

Travis let out an excited squeal, getting up and tackling Aaron in a hug.

"Isn't this amazing you guys? We can take a break! We..We don't have to keep moving anymore. We can rest."

The phrase echoed in Aaron's head.

We can rest.

_We can rest._

He stared at Travis blankly for a second, before a soft grin creeped onto his face. He pulled Zane down into the hug, letting out a relieved sigh as he embraced them.

"Yeah. we can."

The rest of the day was honestly quite exciting.

The house was set up quite quickly, and it was just big enough for three people to occupy it. Philza had supplied them with food and drinks, along with clothes and any other supplies he thought the boys would need after they reassured him that they'd be fine living on their own.

Travis instantly claimed a room before the other two, much to Zane's annoyance. The lamia raced after him after getting his mask pulled off, shouting at the warlock to hand the black cloth back. 

Aaron was busy exploring their new home, a rush of excitement spreading through him as he ran his hand along the pieces of furniture they had. It was just so unreal. They seemingly found an actual safe place filled with others just like them. No violence, no men in iron armor coming to burn down their homes and stores, no hunters. No fear.

They were safe here.

After a small tour of the place, the trio went outside to get a look at the town. Wilbur had decided to show them around, followed by Tommy and a ram going by the name of Tubbo. The youngsters were actually quite fun to be around, cracking jokes every now and fun as the group stopped at places. Travis seemed to get along with them already, joining in on their loud laughter and jokes.

They even met a few hybrids their age was well. Aaron instantly remembered the guy in the mask, who's name ended up being Dream. He was honestly a funny guy, despite his appearance which probably gave a few other people the creeps. There was George, who seemed a bit more calm than Sapnap. Another bundle of energy who seemingly couldn't calm down. Then there was Bad, who was honestly just an absolute precious boy. Zane forgot that he was talking to a demon multiple times. Yet the lamia seemed to get along with Techno the most, the two probably sharing the same edgy energy with one another.

Aaron couldn't help but oddly feel in place, and out of place at the same time.

These people were just like him. Hybrids that were just trying to get by in life, making the most out of everything despite living in a world where nobody wanted them to even exist.

But on the other hand, none of them knew that they had just accepted a monster into their home.

"Hey, you good man?"

Aaron blinked, staring back at Wilbur.

"Sorry, just trying to uhm..process everything." He nervously chuckled, his lack of social skills really didn't help.

"Yeah I get it. It's a lot to take in."

The siren placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Aaron couldn't help but feel fuzzy inside at the sudden kindness this guy he barely knew was showing him. Kindness that hasn't been given to him by anyone else but Zane and Travis. It felt..refreshing to get it from someone else.

"But don't worry. I know you guys will fit right in." Wilbur smiled at him.

And so Aaron was laying in his new bed, staring up at the ceiling. His red bandana untied and resting on the nightstand next to him.

 _"I know you guys will fit right_ _in."_

The warm fuzzy feeling came back, making the boy smile as he closed his eyes. For once, he felt good about going to bed.

The feeling of being out of place quickly faded away as he drifted into the first peaceful sleep he's had in years. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter was a little short! I was kind of running out of ideas for this one-


	6. Getting Comfortable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It might take a while to get used to, but L'Manburg seems like a pretty good home.
> 
> (Aka just Aaron being bros with his boys and the other boys. Take some platonic fluff.)

Aaron was a little surprised when he woke up in bed the next morning, the bright early rays of sunlight seeping through his window and into the bedroom.

He sat up, looking around in confusion for a second before his ears picked up on voices from downstairs.

_"That's not how cereal is made you dingus!!"_

_"It's just cereal!"_

_"Yeah but you don't boil the cereal and milk!"_

His shoulders fell as he stared at his door for a second, a small smile spreading across his face as the memories from a day ago came back to him.

He lived here now. Everything was fine.

Aaron let out a small yawn, stretching as he reluctantly swung his legs off of the warm bed. He moved the blanket to the side as he got up, rubbing a hand through his messy black hair. 

He ignored the urge to go back to bed as he walked over a nearby closet, grabbing his bandana and tying it around his eyes as he passed the nightstand. One might wonder how he was able to see through that thing. It was a special made bandana his father got him, people couldn't see in, but he could kind of see out. 

The boy stared at the closet for a second before opening it, staring at the arrangement of clothes Philza had helped him pick out the day he and the others moved in. The clothing was new and clean, mostly in different shades of red because, well, Aaron likes red. Of course, a mix of black, grey, and white were thrown in there as well. 

Aaron settled on a sleeveless charcoal grey turtleneck shirt and a scarlet red jacket. It was a bit big on him, but he didn't mind. It was soft and comfortable, and that's all he cared about. He rolled up the sleeves of the jacket to his elbows, tugging down the sleeves of the shirt a bit so they weren't rolled up as well. He slipped on some iron grey jeans and black combat boots, taking a glance in the mirror as he grabbed a roll of black bandages to wrap around the faint burn scars on his arm. It felt good to finally be in new clothes.

He sighed, pulling his hood over his head as he opened the door and walked downstairs towards the kitchen with his hands in the pockets of his jacket. He peeked from behind a corner, spotting Zane and Travis bickering.

"Well maybe I wanna eat boiled cereal!" 

"That..That is gross."

"No it isn't!"

Aaron smiled softly, chuckling a little as he made his way over, "What's going on over here?"

The two turned to him, a pot of what he assumed to be boiling cereal behind them. Zane crossed his arms, his scaly ears perking up a bit.

"Travis over here is boiling cereal. _Boiling. Cereal._ " He hissed, the venom dripping from the his words.

"I can make cereal in any way I want. And it's gonna be _boiled_." Travis smirked, putting his hands on his hips to match his sassy tone.

"That's a crime against humanity." 

"Not it ain't!"

"I don't know, boiled cereal sound kind of off to me." Aaron shrugged, turning the pot on the stove. His eyes widened a bit as he watched the supposed cereal begin to bubble and rise to the top of the pot, "Uh, Travis-"

"What?" Travis turned towards the pot and gasped, "Oh shit!"

He rushed over towards the stove, grabbing one of the dials and turning it. Instead of the stove turning off, it only got hotter. The fire rising and making the cereal bubble even more. Somehow the hot monstrosity ended up bursting into flames, causing the boys to jump back with a surprised yelp.

"Someone turn it off goddamnit!" Aaron shouted, taking a step back.

"I'm trying!!" Travis shrieked, turning the dial into the opposite direction. He stared at the burning pot, a burnt smell high in the air as a thin layer of smoke filled the kitchen.

Zane coughed a little, pulling his mask up to try and shield himself from the smoke. Aaron facepalmed as Travis blew the small fire out, a small nervous grin on the warlock's face as he turned to his friends.

"Uh...so about breakfast-"

"It's fine. Here, let me make something." 

Aaron ruffled Travis' hair as they cleaned out the area, being careful as to not burn themselves when handling the pot of bubbly milk and cereal. 

Aaron watched the steam rise up as he turned the cold water on, setting the pot under the faucet to cool it off after he poured out its contents.

Instead of boiled cereal, he and the others made some eggs, bacon, and toast with butter. The smoke had cleared as the smell of actual good breakfast filled the air. Zane sighed as he handed Aaron a few eggs, this was much better than boiled cereal.

Travis set the table, pulling out some orange juice and filling glass cups with the drink as Zane and Aaron set the plates of food down.

"Say Ronnie, where'd you learn to cook?" Travis asked, a brow raising as he grabbed his plate of food and sat down in one of the chairs.

"My father taught me when I was twelve. He helped me learn recipes from some cook book he had." The boy replied, sitting down as well. A sad, yet warm feeling filled his heart at the images of him and his father standing over the stove together, making things. How he missed those times.

"It's a good thing we at least have someone here that knows how to not set the kitchen on fire." Zane pulled down his mask, showing off his freckled face that rarely ever saw the light of day.

"Good thing indeed." Aaron snickered, much to Travis' annoyance as he playfully rolled his eyes while digging into his food.

Travis smiled as he took a bite of some eggs and bacon, the large grin spreading onto his face as he eagerly took another bite. Honestly, this was much better than what he imagined boiled cereal would taste like. Which as probably disgusting compared to, y'know, normal cereal.

He felt warm and fuzzy inside as the trio talked and laughed, the joy lighting up the kitchen. Even though the morning started off with a fire, everything still seemed to turn out fine.

Aaron quietly hummed to himself as he washed off the dishes, placing them neatly in a holder as he dried them. He turned to the two on the couch, a rag in his hand as he started to dry off the last plate.

"You guys up to anything today?" 

Zane shrugged, grabbing a book off of a nearby shelf, "I think I'll stay in for a bit today. Still a little tired."

"I'm _hella_ tired, wan' sleep." Travis yawned, sitting onto the couch.

Aaron chuckled a little, walking over to give him a gentle head pat. The warlock leaned into the touch, a small purr coming from him as he smiled softly.

"Alright. I'll be outside today, come get me if you need anything, okay?" Aaron took his hand away, much to Travis' displeasure.

"Aye aye, captain." Travis snickered, grabbing a blanket and wrapping himself in it.

As Zane sat down onto the couch with a book in hand, Aaron reached over and gave him a head pat as well. Zane tensed a little, before sighing and leaning into Aaron's hand a bit. Though he wouldn't admit it, he liked head pats. Zane secretly liked affection from his close friends, of course though, he would _never_ tell anyone that. That didn't help with anything because they knew anyway.

"I'll be back soon, cya." 

Aaron walked towards the door, leaving the two on the couch as he stepped outside. The town was bustling with life, like always. People filled the streets, kids ran around with their siblings and friends, shops and stores were just opening up as well.

A small feeling of nostalgia hit the boy in red as he closed the door behind him, making his way down the street. Though he wasn't too fond on the loudness of the people around him, he still wanted to go out and take a little tour of L'Manburg. It felt so nice to be able to be around other hybrids, especially a whole town of them. There were no humans or hunters to try and hurt him or his friends. It was safe.

A small breeze blew past him as he put his hands into his pockets, taking in the scene around him. It was just so nice to know that not all hybrids had gone extinct like some people had said.

"Hey! Aaron!"

He shot his head up, turning his head to see a familiar looking siren waving to him from a few feet away. Shiny brown eyes full of light as they stared at him. Aaron fully turned around, managing a small, shy wave back at Wilbur. He could see a group sitting in a circle not too far away, the faces all familiar. Dream, Bad, George, and Sapnap. They seemed to be chatting happily. before turning to see who Wilbur had gone to wave too. Aaron couldn't help but feel bad for causing a disturbance.

What he didn't expect was for Wilbur to walk over to him and gently grab his arm with a kind grin.

"Glad to see you out here today man. C'mon, sit with us!"

Aaron was thinking of coming up with an excuse not to, as he wasn't really good when it came to socializing, let alone in groups. Yet at the same time...he just couldn't refuse. Besides, he was already been dragged away by the guy before he had time to answer.

"Oh! Hey new guy!" Bad smiled happily at Aaron, tail swaying with small excitement as Wilbur brought him over. The siren sat down, patting the spot next to him for Aaron to sit as well.

Aaron mumbled a soft "hi" as he sat down on the grass, crossing his legs and folding his hands across his lap. He couldn't help but stay quiet, because socializing is hard.

"Dream over here was talking about Sapnap nearly blew up the tower once." George snickered, earning a glare from the blazeborn next to him.

"I told you it was on accident!!" Sapnap hissed, frowning.

"Yeah, because lighting a stick of dynamite was somehow an accident." Wilbur joked, folding one of his legs and draping an arm over it.

"Having a flaming tail is hard! You should know a thing or two about setting things on fire, Wilbur." Sapnap crossed his arms, eyes full of sass as Wilbur gasped.

"Aye! It was one time! One!" 

The group burst into loud laughter. Aaron stayed quiet, a blank expression on his face as he played with a bit of his jacket.

"Say, red guy, got any stories of your own?"

"His name is Aaron Sapnap."

"Silence Dream."

"Dude you've known him for a while already."

_"I said silence."_

Aaron glanced up, biting his lip a little as he tried to dig up old memories.

"A..A few, I guess. A-A friend of mine almost started a forest fire once.." He kept his tone soft and quiet, eyes darting to the grass.

"Really!? How!?" Dream grinned. Aaron stared for a second, before swallowing the nervousness.

"Well, a chaotic child and magic don't really mix well together." He shrugged, the memory of Travis setting a tree on fire replaying in his head.

"Yikes, I know what dealing with a chaotic child is like. Tommy is one hell of a wild kid." Wilbur chuckled, a small smile on his face.

"He does kind of give off feral gremlin vibes." Aaron blurted out. He froze for a second, about to apologize before the siren started laughing again.

"I know right? I knew I wasn't the only one who thought that!"

Aaron stared at him for a second, fiddling with his black bandages for a bit before letting out a soft, warm chuckle.

"Pshh. I never had to deal with any feral children." Sapnap smiled proudly.

"That's because you _are_ the feral child, Sapnap." Dream piped up.

"The fuck- I am not!" He gasped.

"Language!" Bad shouted through a small giggle, "Tommy doesn't seem _that_ bad."

"Try living in the same house as him. It is _hell_." Wilbur groaned.

"Gremlins are chaotic forces that cannot be contained." Aaron chuckled a little, his confidence boosting a bit at the group seemed to chuckle in agreement with his statement.

He watched as Wilbur tried to lean back, only to end up falling onto Aaron. The red boy winced, as the burns on his arms were still sore. He growled a little, before letting out a small bark that sounded much like a puppy.

Aaron slapped a hand over his mouth quickly, eyes going wide as all eyes fell on him. His heart started racing as his face turned red. Wilbur got up, blinking.

"Did...Did you just bark?" He raised a brow.

"I-I'm so s-sorry I didn't mean to I-I swear!- " Aaron stuttered, the urge to hide inside of a cave and just die growing stronger and stronger by the second.

"No, dude don't worry about it! We just didn't know you were a werewolf." George chuckled, putting his hands up as if to show Aaron there was no harm done. Aaron frowned, the embarrassment eating him on the inside as he groaned, hiding his red face inside of his jacket.

_Oh yeah, definitely a werewolf alright._

"I-It just came out! My burns are just sore and he fell and-"

"Hey hey, it's alright!" Bad placed a gentle hand on his shoulder with that precious smile of his, "I actually think it was kind of cute! You sound like a...puppy!"

Aaron lowered his jacket a little, his cheeks still rosy red as he looked away with a huff, "It's...It's not supposed to be cute.."

Wilbur snickered, "Well now it is."

The boy in red sighed, letting go of his jacket and crossing his arms. Bad let out a small giggle, his tail swaying behind him happily.

He couldn't help but feel in place as the group conversation continued like normal, the boys telling stories and laughing with each other. He even joined in and talked about a few memories or experiences he's had at least once or twice. It wasn't really a lot, but he was trying.

It eventually got easier to talk when Travis and Zane came in later, the two making themselves comfortable in the group circle as they joined in on the stories and laughter.

Aaron couldn't help the smile on his face as he let out a small sigh. What a nice morning it was.


	7. Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time has passed. Everything seemed to be looking up.
> 
> But then it all crashed down.

"Are you going to keep petting me?"

"Yup. I know you like affection anyway."

"I mean..well...you're not wrong."

Travis' heart skipped a beat as a familiar red blush spread across his face, the blue haired girl's hand gently rubbing through his white, fluffy hair as they sat together in the grass.

He couldn't help but lean against her a bit, scooting closer to her. The dragon hybrid smiled, leaning back and staring at the sky.

Katelyn sure was an interesting person to talk to. Travis, Zane, and Aaron had met her and her friends nearly two weeks ago, and have gotten along really well since then. They even introduced the girls to the other guys as well, creating one big friend group. However, the warlock couldn't help but feel so...different around her. Every time she talked to him or pat him on the head, he couldn't help the butterflies in his stomach. It was so weird.

The girl leaned onto him, her hand slowly moving off of his head so she can wrap an arm around him. Travis mentally shrieked, his heart racing as he felt his face heat up.

"So, I heard there was going to be a festival later today." Katelyn blurted out, turning to the boy.

"Oh really?" Travis raised a brow, glancing at her, "That doesn't sound bad. Actually, it seems like fun!"

"Hmm. How 'bout we check it out later? Who knows, maybe we can invite Aph and the others." She suggested, a soft smile spreading onto her face.

"That'd be awesome. I'm all for it. Maybe we can get Aaron to dance for once in his life." He grinned, letting out a small chuckle as he stared back at the sky, closing his eyes

Katelyn stared at him for longer than she thought she should've, watching the sun make all of his features stand out. There was something about those emerald eyes that made her heart flutter. She didn't know why.

She had notice the same flustered feeling happening to Aphmau whenever Aaron hugged her or gave her any sort of affection, the angel's face going red as she sputtered nervously before trying to continue whatever she was doing without falling into a blushy mess. Kawaii~chan made sure to tease her about it whenever it happened.

"Put me down you fuckin' asshole!"

"Nope. You're banned from stealing wheelbarrows child."

"I'm not a child! Also, it was funny!"

"No it wasn't."

"Silence. Emos don't get speaking rights."

"Bruh."

"Okay first of all, how dare you."

The pair turned towards the loud voices, being pulled out of their calm state to see who was making all of that noise.

They spotted a familiar young elytrian thrashing around in the arms of his older brother, the piglin seemingly having gone through this more than once. The lamia next to him crossed his arms, rolling his eye at the younger boy's grumbling.

"Is this really how things go with him?" Zane asked.

"Yup. Basically." Techno shrugged, his hold on his younger brother not loosening, "You're lucky to not have to deal with a feral child like this."

"I'm not feral, bitch. I'm awesome." Tommy hissed, his black wings fluttering in tiny gremlin anger.

"Hush now Tommy. The adults are speaking." Techno snickered, a small smirk on his face as the boy glared at him.

"Oh trust me, I live with a feral child as well. He's right over there with his girlfriend. Hey Travis!" Zane waved at the demon warlock, who's face went red as he let out a gasp.

"I am not a feral child! And Katelyn isn't my girlfriend!" He shouted.

Katelyn let out a laugh as she stood up, bringing the demon with her as she made her way over, "You dorks up to dumb shit again?"

"I'm trying to stop this gremlin from causing destruction." Techno glanced at Tommy, who stopped struggling.

"You really like to insult me, don't you?"

"Yup."

"Wow. I have such a loving brother." The elytrian rolled his eyes, crossing his arms, "Look man, I'll stop acting stupid if you just put me down."

"Hmmm...no. Suffer." Techno refused.

Travis snickered as Tommy sighed, letting himself fall limp in defeat as the piglin chuckled, turning his gaze back to the others.

"So, Travis and I were wondering if any of you were going to the festival this evening." Katelyn piped up, her thin blue tail swaying behind her.

"Eh. Sure I guess. Kawaii~chan's been begging me to go anyway." Zane shrugged, putting his hands on his hips.

"Awh, are you going to make her happy?" Travis grinned. The lamia's face turned red under his mask as he let out a small hiss, scaly ears perking up.

"W-What!? No! I just..think it'd be nice to try." He looked away, crossing his arms.

Travis stared at him for a second before grinning, engulfing him into a hug. Zane hissed again, pretending to not like the hug. If he wasn't in public, he'd hug back.

"That's good. I'm glad you're opening up more." Travis' tone as softer as he pulled away, his emerald green eyes glistening. Zane blinked, staring back before turning away again.

"Oh, uh, thanks." 

A groan interrupted the moment.

"That's real sweet and all, but can I be put down now!?" Tommy frowned.

"Silence child." Katelyn pat his head, causing the elytrian's ears to go down as another groan escaped from him.

"This is bullying." Tommy frowned.

"Take it as a consequence for getting Travis to set the wheelbarrow on fire." Techno shrugged, holding his brother with one arm.

"Which reminds me, Travis, no more arson."

"Fuck."

"A what?"

"A festival. You should come with us!"

Aaron blinked, a blank look on his face as he stared down at the angel. Her sweet brown eyes shining as she tucked some of her hair behind her ear, waiting for his answer.

"I...I don't know. Celebrations and stuff aren't really my thing.." He shrugged, fiddling with his usual red hoodie as he stared at the ground.

"Oh. Well, Dream wanted to know if you'd be going! I was thinking that this would be a really fun time for all of us to hang out together." Aphmau flashed him a shy smile, her cheeks a little red.

He shot a glance at her, letting go of his hoodie as he thought about it. He's never been to a festival before, and though he had wanted to go to one for a long time. But he was always afraid of feeling out of place. Unwanted by the crowd of people who danced and cheered. And he accepted it. Nobody would want to be near a monster.

_Monster monster monster monster monster._

He pushed that wretched word to the back of his head, the thought of it making him want to throw up. 

However, he's only known these people for five weeks, Aphmau for two. Yet..the feeling of them actually _wanting_ to be next to him, to hang out with someone like him. It made him feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"Well, then I'll give it a try."

Aphmau glanced up at him, her eyes glimmering in a way that made Aaron's heart skip a beat. Her wings fluttered a little as she gasped.

"Really? You'd go with us?" She asked.

He smiled softly, shrugging, "Yeah, why not. It'll be a new experience."

He flinched a little as a sudden pair of warms wrapped around him, the embrace tight and warm as he could feel the girl nuzzle him a bit. A happy look was written on her face as she let out a pleased sound.

"I'm glad! It's going to be great with you there."

Aaron stared at her for a bit, before blushing a little and turning away.

"Thanks, Aph."

Aphmau smiled, a feeling of butterflies in her stomach as he mentioned her name. Why, why was she feeling this way? It hasn't even been that long since they've known each other, and still...he was the only person who's ever made her feel so flustered.

"No problem! It's gonna be awesome! Wilbur will be there, and Dream and George and-"

The boy in red smiled as he watched her excitedly talking about the festival to come, he couldn't help but feel a little excited himself as she rambled on. 

Yet, there was a small feeling in his stomach. A part of him was whispering that this was going to go horribly wrong at the festival.

He pushed it down, ignoring it as the early sun began to set. The bright blue sky turning into a more orange color, mixed in with a bit of pink and blue. A small drop of purple seemed to be added to the mix as well, creating a beautiful display of colors.

"Wow, they're really putting thought into this, huh?" Zane tugged on Aaron's arm a bit, staring at the newly hung lanterns and lights in the middle of the town. A growing group of people occupied the area, adding more decorations along with setting up little food and shopping stands.

"It's amazing, right Zane?" A pink haired meif'wa turned to Zane with a sweet smile, honey golden eyes full of excitement and wonder as she stared at the lights. 

"Y-Yeah...it actually is." The lamia replied in a soft tone, turning away as Kawaii~chan skipped off to go explore the area.

The rest of the group was there as well, conversating with one another. Travis could even spot Philza and Schlatt in the crowd, the ram hybrid carrying his son on his back.

"Tubbs I love you but you're going to crush my back."

"Yeah Big T, he's an old man. Give him a break."

"Okay now that was just mean."

"I know."

"You're a mean ass child."

"Silence Dream."

The sound of chuckling could be heard near that group as Tubbo hopped off of Schlatt's back, giving the guy some relief. There didn't seem to be any bad vibes as time went on, Aaron had found himself conversing with Bad, the demon's happy mood putting some ease into the bad feeling in his stomach. 

Yet the lights, the people, the soft colors in the sky. He couldn't help but feel oddly calm here. The bad feeling was just so weird. Why was he feeling this way?

Aaron couldn't help but be pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of music playing nearby. He turned to see Wilbur dancing beside a small band, the sound filling the area as the siren moved around happily and fluently. His ears were perked up as he smiled, the crowd's eyes going onto him as they watched him dance around.

Wilbur went over and grabbed Philza's hand, pulling him into the center of the town to join in on the dance. The elytrian laughed, grabbing his son's hands and twirling around with him. The two danced around together, before Wilbur pulled away to drag Tommy and Techno in, much to their protest. Yet even they couldn't stop themselves from smiling as they began to dance around as well, Tubbo and Schlatt joining in after them.

Wilbur went around, grabbing Aphmau's hand and pulling her in as well. The angel's wings fluttered happily as she turned to see Katelyn and Kawaii~chan twirl in after her, laughing loudly as they joined the growing group of dancing people. Laughter filled the air as the siren linked his arm around George's, pulling him in as well. The shulk grabbed onto Dream, who grabbed onto Sapnap, taking them into the dancing crowd.

Aaron and Bad watched in awe as people cheered and danced, the music playing loudly as everyone seemed to get into the groove. Aaron chuckled a little as Travis dragged Zane into the circle, grabbing his hands and dancing around him. The lamia groaned, refusing to dance.

However, Travis continued spinning him around. It wasn't long before the lamia surprisingly sighed in defeat, a soft look on his face before he slowly started to move around. A smile spread onto Aaron's face as he watched from afar, a soft chuckle escaping from his mouth.

He blinked as he felt an arm link around his, his head turning to see Bad smiling at him.

"C'mon! Your legs aren't gonna move themselves!" The demon giggled happily.

Aaron shook his head, "No no, I'm good- woah!"

He stumbled as he was pulled into the crowd, eyes going onto him as Bad danced around. Aaron couldn't help but trip a bit as he did his best to keep up, trying to get used to the music and move in sync with the demon.

"Put your soul into it!"

He tightened his hold on Bad's arm as he huffed. Slowly, he caught up with the music, his movements becoming more and more smooth as he danced around with the demon. A small grin appeared on his face as he let out a laugh. The nervous feeling began to fade as he focused on the joy around him, his arm linked with Bad's as they twirled around together happily.

"Yeah, you got it!" Bad cheered, spinning around some more before they switched dancing partners.

Aaron blushed a little as Aphmau grabbed onto him, her hands in his as she danced with the boy. Her cheeks went a little red as she stared at him, a smile on her face as they moved around to the music. He pulled her close, a hand going onto her waist while she put one on his shoulder. 

"You're dancing?" She gasped, her eyes shimmering. 

Aaron's heart skipped a beat as he spun her around, a small giggle coming from the angel as she stood close to him. Butterflies filled his stomach as he took in her features. The sun caught in her raven hair as she held onto him, her kind eyes staring right at him. Aaron wondered if she was always this beautiful.

"I-I suppose so!"

"That's awesome! I didn't know you could dance!" Aphmau said in awe.

"Eh. Just having fun I guess." Aaron chuckled, smiling sweetly at her. 

"Then go dance your heart out!" She cheered, letting him go on his own and grabbing onto Zane.

The world seemed to go by and Aaron spun around, passing a smiling Travis before someone grabbed onto his hand. A familiar masked enderian chuckled as he pulled the boy closer, holding onto him as they moved around.

"Having fun?" Dream smiled, holding Aaron's hands.

"Hell yeah! This...This is awesome!" Aaron grinned, moving in sync with Dream. The pair spun around happily without a care in the world, their only focus seemingly on each other and the music.

"That's great, I'm glad!" Dream chuckled softly, twirling the boy around as other people passed by them.

The feeling of having eyes on him, judging every single move he made, faded as Aaron danced around with Dream, the two laughing together happily. Dream's hands were a bit colder than normal, but Aaron didn't mind. Not at all. 

He glanced around, a warm feeling in his heart as he watched his friends and other townsfolk cheering as they moved around to the music. George a little annoyed that Sapnap kept stepping on his feet, but still having fun and laughing. Katelyn picking Travis up and spinning him around. Wilbur twirling with Bad before letting go and grabbing onto Aaron.

Aaron let out a small squeak as he was pulled away, his arm linked around Wilbur's as they danced around in the center of the crowd. The duo smiled at each other, their arms linked tightly as they continued to groove to the loud music playing in the air. Eyes fell on them, but neither gave a care as they grabbed each other's hands, spinning and twirling around as their laughter filled the air. Aaron has never had so much fun in his life, ever. This experience was just magical.

Their eyes met as the circled each other, dancing around on their own to the music. Wilbur let out a joyful laugh as he closed his eyes, letting any worries he had fade away as he glanced at Aaron. The boy in red grinned happily, showing off his sharp teeth as he let the world around him pass by.

The two came to a halt as the music ended, their hands linking together. Cheers erupted from the crowd, people clapping and whistling as the pair's eyes met, a happy grin on both of their faces.

"You were amazing out there man." Wilbur huffed, letting go of Aaron's hands.

"I could say the same for you." Aaron replied, letting out a small huff.

The siren stared at him, a kind grin on his face he chuckled softly. Wilbur hugged Aaron, giving him a small pat on the back.

"I told ya you'd fit in."

Aaron blinked, staying still for a second before returning the hug. There was a small wetness in his eyes as he melted into the warm embrace, a soft smile on his face as he sighed.

The cheers quickly turned into screams as a loud explosion roared through the air. Aaron felt his eyes turn red under his bandana as he pulled away, his gaze falling onto the black smoke rising into the air outside of the walls.


	8. Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beast awakens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE!!

"What the hell!? What's going on!?"

Aaron stared up at the black cloud of smoke and ashes, his heart beat speeding up as the people around him gasped and whispered in fear. His clenched his fists, taking a step back.

Travis and Zane stood by his side, alert and ready to fight if any danger came their way. The rest of their friend group stood closely together, murmuring to each other. George held on tightly to Bad, the poor demon nearly hyperventilating at the familiar sight of an explosion.

Philza stared, his green eyes going wide as his wings curled around his sons on instinct. There was no way. They couldn't be here. This couldn't be possible.

Tommy let out a distressed chirp, gripping onto Wilbur's trench coat at his ears drooped. Schlatt held onto Tubbo protectively, a hand combing through the young ram's dark brown hair in an attempt to keep him calm.

"Philza!"

The elytrian turned to the voice, a familiar avian in a blue beanie flying towards him in a frantic way. A look of pure panic was written on his face as he landed, nearly tripping onto the ground.

Philza glanced at him, his brows furrowing a little.

"What's wrong Quackity?" 

"It's the Guardian Forces!" Quackity shouted in distress, "T-They're here! At the front gates!"

Dream's stomach dropped, feeling colder than usual at the mention of the Guardian Forces, the name of King Micheal's army. The ones who went from town to town and tore hybrids' life into shreds. The men in iron armor.

Philza's wings fluffed up a bit in surprise, his heart nearly stopping. How? How were they found? 

"Shit. Get the troops and have them ready by the gates. I'll meet you there."

"Yes sir!" The avian nodded and flew off once more.

Philza then turned to his sons.

"Stay here in the city. Do _not_ leave until you are told to do so. Understand?" His voice was stern and serious.

"What? Where are you going?" Techno asked, his voice more frantic than usual.

"I'm going over to see if I can talk to the Guardian Forces." The elytrian pulled out his sword.

"Wh- dad you can't! They'll...they'll kill you!" Wilbur pleaded, his eyes slightly watering with tears.

Philza stared at his boys, before kneeling down and engulfing them into a tight hug. His wings covered them like a feathery blanket, shielding his children from the harsh world they were forced to live in. Small tears pricked the corners of his eyes as he pulled away slightly to take a look at them.

"If I don't come back within an hour, run over to Schlatt's. Alright?" He gave them one final hug, "I love you all so, so much."

The elytrian pulled away, his big black wings extending. He took in a breath before flying off into the air, the pleads of his sons growing faint as he neared the gates to where the king's army stood, along with his own army. With a sigh, Schlatt whispered a quiet "I love you" to Tubbo, ruffling his hair before following Philza.

Technoblade hugged his brothers tightly, the tension high in the air as the people of the town began to scatter around into their homes and shops. Aphmau whimpered, holding Aaron's hand tightly as her wings fluttered a little.

"W-What do we do?" Kawaii~chan asked, her usual happy golden eyes full of fear as she glanced around in worry.

"The best we can do is wait here or take shelter." Sapnap frowned, his fiery rod tail laying limp behind him as he squeezed Dream's hand to comfort the enderian.

"This is insane. How? How did they find this place?" Zane asked, his tone shaky and panicky.

"I don't know. But they did." Katelyn crossed her arms, staring back at the clearing cloud of smoke that rose into the air.

Aaron stared at the ground. This is why he was feeling so bad earlier. Why he felt so off during the entire day, during the festival. 

The Guardian Forces had come to strip his new life away from him.

Travis glanced around in worry, holding his arms as the sadness and fear in the air seemed to suddenly become overwhelming. Tubbo began to cry softly, holding onto the boy in green. Travis whispered words of reassurance to him, hand going through his fluffy hair as a form of comfort.

The demon warlock opened his mouth to speak, but shrieked instead as another explosion rang out through the air, this time near the gates.

Tommy shot his head up with a gasp, "Dad!"

Aaron turned around, his hands balled into tight fists as he stared at the new rising cloud of smoke.

Wilbur pulled away from Techno's arms, dashing into the direction of where Philza had flown off to. His breathing hitched as he ran as quick as possible, ignoring his brother's shouts behind him. He had to see his father. He had to.

"Wilbur wait!" Aaron took off after the siren. He was incredibly fast as he ran.

"Aaron you dumbass don't!-" Zane hissed, trailing after the boy in red. 

It wasn't long until the group of teens followed after each other, making their way towards the front gates as they ran past the frantic and panicked citizens that crowded the streets, shouts and murmurs in the air as they wondered what on earth was happening.

Also, writer is too lazy to introduce Skeppy so he's part of the group now. Say hi to the diamond hybrid.

Anyway.

Wilbur panted as the sound of fighting and yelling from outside of the walls grew closer and closer. He picked up his speed, thoughts going through his head as he tried to figure out what was going on. Worry and fear laced in his dark brown eyes as he entered the scene.

L'Manburg's army was clashing with the king's troops, yells coming from the groups as they swung their weapons at one another. 

Philza could be spotted fighting off one of the knights, his sword pushing through the metal armor. Blood gushed from the wound as he pulled out, kicking the body away.

His heart stopped as he heard a familiar voice.

"Dad!!"

The elytrian turned to Wilbur and the group of teens behind him. Eyes widening.

_All of them fucking ran over here._

"I told you to stay inside!!" Philza yelled, his heart racing. This wasn't good. Not good at all.

"But-!"

Wilbur gasped as Skeppy grabbed him and pulled him away from an oncoming arrow, "Watch out!"

Schlatt charged at the man who almost shot the siren, using his horns to headbutt the man backward before slicing his head off with the axe in his hand. The ram huffed, turning to the group.

 _"Get out of here_ _now!!"_

Aaron stood still, the voices drowning out as a sudden feeling bubbled in his chest.

These guards destroyed his home and separated him from his family.

They destroyed his life. The lives of his friends.

They caused nothing but pain and suffering.

They needed to pay.

They had to pay.

They had to _die._

His hands twitched, the heat in his eyes building up as he could feel his claws begin to grow. Black was rising from his fingertips and making its way up his arms.

_Kill the men in iron armor._

_No no no no stop-_

_Do it._

His own voice seemed to plead in his head, begging for the transformation to stop. But it was no use. He was too mad at this point.

He could hear other voices around him. Hands pulling at him, calling his name, telling him they had to go. To move. Asking what was wrong with him.

His teeth began to bear as the anger, the _rage_ bubbled up into his chest. Black aura surrounding him as his body began to to shift and form, him growing larger and larger. 

The men stopped and stared at the monster that grew in before them, the red crimson eyes full of pure anger and hatred. The fluffy ears dipped in red at the tips sat at the top of the creature's head, twitching as he bared his razor sharp teeth. His long tail swayed behind him as he stared at the army, big black claws digging into the dirt.

The guards, along with everyone else couldn't believe what they were seeing.

The Black Beast was here.

And he was _mad._

Without a second thought, Aaron charged at the nearest guard, pouncing on whoever he was attacking and staring them dead in the eyes. The man stared back, before letting out a scream of agony as his body suddenly felt as if it was on fire, his skin turning pale as he thrashed around, eyes losing their color as he shrieked. The beast stared at him for a while before tearing him to shreds, blood flying everywhere.

The guard's screams were muffled to Aaron as he let out a roar, charging at whoever was unlucky enough to be closest to him. Claws swiping at their weapons, tearing through their flesh. Blood painting the grass and flowers as he bit into them, his teeth easily piercing through the iron armor and skin. Screams of agony coming from those who looked into those red crimson eyes.

His vision was red as he felt nothing but rage. The shouts of his friends muffled as he bit and tore through the Guardian Forces. Giving each victim a painful and gruesome fate.

He swore he saw a few of his friends attack some guards as well. Magic setting some on fire. One teleporting and using their black claws to tear through the skin of the enemy. Blue fire shooting at one of the unlucky men stunned by the soundwave from someone's voice.

It was a terrible sight.

But they deserved it. 

They had to pay. Pay for what they've done.

However, he didn't notice the other hybrids try to grab at him, yelling and shouting. The word stop being repeated over and over as he tore through more guards, screams filling the air. His strength unstoppable as he was blinded by anger. 

Blood. Blood everywhere. Bodies scattered onto the ground. Heads torn off, eyes dull and skin pale. Screams of agony as the guards stared into those unforgettable red eyes.

_"Aaron stop!!"_

He froze. Not just because of the voice, but because something had wrapped around his claws and legs, keeping him still. He stared down.

Green chains.

He looked around, a low menacing growl erupting from his throat as he tried to find the voice. Who? Who was speaking?

He glanced at the figure in front of him. Sweet brown eyes stared right at him. They were staring into his red eyes. Yet they were unaffected. A hybrid. a friend.

He listened to the voice, whispering to him. Telling him that he had to stop. It was safe.

Safe.

The anger and rage began to burn out, the flames dying down as his ear twitched. 

Slowly, he began to shrink, his arms and legs shifting back to normal, the black on his skin fading away as the aura surrounded him again. His claws vanished as he fell to his knees, ears and tail poofing away as he shifted back into a human. The green chains around his legs and arms vanished.

Aaron let out a small groan, rubbing his head.

"Wha..where..?"

He stared at the person in front of him, white angel wings folded behind her as she stared down at him, brown eyes full of relief. It was Aphmau.

"Aphmau..? What, who-"

"Aaron! You're alright!" Aphmau smiled, getting onto her knees and pulling him into a tight hug. Her wings curled around him like a shield as she embraced him.

A wave of calm washed over the boy as he hugged her back, arms wrapping around her small figure and holding her close. Her scent familiar and making him feel way better than before. He was happy to feel this warmth. Yet he was confused.

He could hear more than one person run over to them, their scents familiar as well. Dream, Zane, Travis, and Bad.

He watched as she pulled away with a sigh, smiling. Yet there was something in her eyes other than relief. Worry. Concern.

Aaron was about to open his mouth, but another scent hit his nose.

Blood.

It was blood. And it wasn't his.

"W-What-"

Aaron turned around and nearly fainted at the sight in front of him.

Past the others, he could see the field of dead bodies laying in the grass. Twisted and ripped apart in a gruesome way, some of their mouths wide open in a silent scream. Their eyes dull and skin pale as they lay dead on the ground. The men in iron armor were all dead.

The memories came back as he brought his hands to his mouth.

He did this.

_He did this._

"Aaron? Aaron are you okay?" Bad asked, sitting next to him.

Zane knelt beside the demon, Travis and Dream by his side as they waited for the boy in red to answer. But all that came from him was a muffled sob. Aphmau's eyes widened slightly, her wings ruffling a little as she scooted back.

Aaron's eyes watered as that same word filled his head.

_Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster._

_You killed them._

_Look what you've done to those poor people._

_You put them in agony._

He felt sick. His stomach twisted and turned.

"Oh my god. I...I did this. Oh my god. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry-"

Another pair of arms wrapped around him. It was Travis.

"Shh, hey hey hey, calm down. It's alright. Everything is going to be fine Ronnie. You're okay." His tone was soft and calm as he pulled Aaron close to him, a hand going through his hair.

"No no no no no no. I-I didn't..I didn't mean to..! I didn't want to hurt them. Oh my god-" Aaron choked between sobs, tears wetting his bandana as they streamed down his cheeks. The images of the bodies filled his head.

"I know, I know. Look, look at me."

Hesitantly, he glanced up at the demon warlock. His purple eyes faded back to green, horns and grey skin vanishing as he stared at Aaron with concern. 

"Calm down, okay? We can talk about this later. But we need to get inside first. It's going to be okay."

Aaron nodded, hugging the shorter boy tightly as he buried his head into his shoulder, the guilt eating away at him.

Everyone had seen the monster he truly was. They were going to hate him now, weren't they?


	9. The Black Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The secret is out.

"What- you mean we've got a demon warlock and the fucking Black Beast in here!?"

"Lower your voice, or the kids will hear you from the other room."

Schlatt sighed as he sat in a chair, running a hand through his brown locks. The setting sun brought in an orange ray of light that pierced through the clinic's window.

"I thought the Ultima went extinct 2,000 years ago." The ram sighed, staring up at Philza.

"Well, that doesn't appear to be the case. I believe he's the only one left." The elytrian crossed his arms, his wings fluttering a bit, "This could be a problem."

"Yeah, no shit. If the king finds out about this place we're fucked." Schlatt furrowed his brows, leaning back into his chair.

"Tch, I'm not letting him and his guards come within an inch of this place." Philza hissed, a small shadow falling over his green eyes.

He sighed, sitting in another chair. His wings folded behind him as he stared at the window, wondering what on Earth to do. There was no doubt King Michael would hear about a group of children wiping out almost all of his guards, one of those kids being the Ultima himself. If he were to send an army here, then they would all be doomed. He couldn't bare that thought. This place had been his home for almost a year now, he was not going to let him or anyone else be stripped away from it. There had to be something he could do.

The L'Manburg army wasn't that big. There was at least 1,000 people, sure. But the king outnumbered them by another thousand, they were sure to be crushed if a war ever broke out. He couldn't handle the thought of losing his friends and family to any more of those selfish and cruel humans. He'd been through enough to know what they were really like. He would not dare let his kids go through the same thing. Not ever.

"Phil! You alright man?"

He shot up, turning to Schlatt, who's eyes narrowed in worry. Philza blinked, shaking his head a little as he took his hat off. He used his free hand to run through his golden strands, a small huff escaping his lips as he nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How're the kids?"

Schlatt turned to him, crossing his arms, "Upstairs. Giving them time to talk things out. None of them were hurt during the fight so it's fine."

Philza's shoulders fell in relief, "Alright, good. That's good."

"Aaron. Aaron you have to calm down!"

"I-I don't- I-I can't-"

The boy curled up away from Skeppy, his chest rising and falling quickly as his throat seemed to clog up. His breaths came out shaky and heavy as he pulled his hood further over his head, hiding himself from everyone in the room.

"Hey, look, it's gonna be alright." George sat beside him, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder in an attempt to soothe him.

"How? H-How are things alright at all!? D-Did you not see what I-I did!?"

"Ronnie-" Zane was cut off by more ranting.

"I-I killed those people! I-I put them in pain and a-agony just b-because I was angry! T-They were su-suffering because of m-me!" Aaron let out a choked sob, eyes glowing red as tears began to stream down his cheeks.

"I-I fucking _ate_ people!" He continued, inhaling sharply before hugging his knees and laying his head down low, "I-I'm a monster! I..I don't belong here..!"

The group watched the boy break down into sobs, his hands shaking. Zane and Travis frowned, glancing at each other. Aaron was the last person they'd expect to have a breakdown like this, the sight tugged at their heart strings. They didn't know how to comfort something as bad as this, as the boy was beginning to hyperventilate. Choked sobs escaped his lips as he curled up into a ball, tightly clinging onto the hood of his sweater as he trembled.

The guilt ate away at him. He killed people. Multiple people. He ate people. He felt sick, he wanted to throw up.

Wilbur stared at him for a second, before climbing onto the bed. He gently cupped Aaron's face, lifting it up to face him, "Hey, that's not true. Not at all."

The siren's voice was soothing, soft like silk as his pretty brown eyes gazed at Aaron.

"But-"

"Shh. Aaron listen, if you think this is going to change how we see you, you're wrong." Wilbur used his thumb gently wipe away any tears.

Bad sat next to him, a small smile on his face, "Yeah! You were...mad. You were upset. And you had every right to be!"

"Those guards are real jerks, they deserved what happened to them." Skeppy piped up, crossing his arms.

"Besides, what you did was totally awesome. Almost wiped them all out." Techno cut in, shrugging.

"Yeah, what Techno said!" Tommy chirped happily.

Aaron sniffled, staring around the group of people who crowded around the bed. Travis and Zane gave him a soft look, sitting beside him.

"You're your best friend Ronnie, we could never think of you in a bad way." The lamia stated, earning a nod from Travis.

"Exactly! We've been together through thick and thin, one incident won't change that." Travis agreed.

The heat in his eyes slowly began to fade as he glanced at them, a warm feeling in his chest as a small smile made its way across his face.

"They're right Aaron." Aphmau smiled at him, her sweet brown eyes glimmering, "You're not a monster. You never were."

_You're not a monster._

The phrase echoed in his head over and over as he looked around. Tears blurred his vision as he nearly started crying again.

"Awh, c'mere." Travis pulled him into a hug, chuckling a little as he pat the boy's back, "We're gonna get through this."

"Yeah! And we'll get through it together!" Tubbo grinned, his small tail wagging happily as his eyes glistened.

Aaron let out a small, shaky sigh as he buried his head into Travis' shoulder, another tear slipping down his cheeks as he felt his eyes turn back to their original color.

"I love you guys. Y'know that?"

Kawaii~chan let out a small giggle, her tail swaying happily as she nodded, "Of course we do!"

"Yep." Zane ran a hand through the boy's hair with a smile, "We love you too Aaron."

"What do you mean my guards were wiped out?"

The knight gulped, the voice that spoke to him dripping with venom. Those snake eyes struck fear into his heart like no other.

"T-The troops were killed. All of them."

The man on the throne leaned back, a frown on his face as he ran a hand through his grey-white hair.

"You mean to tell my that some _hybrids_ murdered my guards?"

The knight stood up straight, a shiver going down his spine as he nodded quickly, his grip on his spear tight.

"Y-Yes sir! One of our spies have reported a sighting of the...the Ultima in the battle.

Michael glared at him, sitting upright in his chair.

"The Ultima?"

"Yes sir. And a demon warlock, along with other rare hybrids."

A small grin made it's way across his face at the news. The smile was sinister, absolutely no good intentions could be hiding behind such a grin. The man himself seemingly reeked of evil as he let out a small chuckle, crossing his legs as he made up a plan in his head.

This was going to be good.

The peace that had been going on for months was quite boring for the king, if he was being honest. A good war always filled him with a sort of excitement, knowing he'd crush his enemy in the span of at least a few days. Those animals in that little city we're not threat to him and his army, he'd show those goddamn hybrids where they really belonged. Once and for all.

"Delightful. Absolutely delightful." He let out a low chuckle, causing the guard's hairs to stand up on the back of his neck.

"Send a little message to that _Philza_ , won't you?"

The knight nodded quickly.

"Yes sir! What shall I tell him?"

Michael grinned, sitting upright in his throne.

"Tell him that the Guardians have officially declared war on L'Manburg."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter was shorter than normal! I kind of rushed this one due to running out of ideas-


End file.
